Conveyer belt



May l5, 1928. t 1,669,613

J. w. @REER CONVEYER BELT Filed Dec. 22. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z0 ZE 3l E il A\\\\\\\ wllf/fi/lfllffl/fl/lfllyllllflf.

v /Nl/E/VTOR] ,4741-0 R/vEY Patented May 15, 192.8.

UNITED STATES 1,666,613 PATENT OFFICE. g

JESSE W. GREER, 0F CAMBRIDGE, .MASSACHUSETTS.

CONVEYER BELT.k

Application filed December a heat insulator which prevents a rapid eX- change ot heat between the confections and chamber thru which they are passing. Continuous nietal belts have also been proposed tor this purpose but they likewise are open to the objectionv that they tend to run crooked; and trays advanced by side chains have been proposed heretofore but they are heavier to operate than a belt and rhave other disadvantages.

AThe present invention therefore relates to a coiiveyer belt which is so constructed that. it cannot run crooked and which is strong and durable and is simple Ain construction.

One ot the primary features of the present invention resides in the construction whereby the belt sections work extremely satisfactorily when formed of sheetsteel or other flexible metal, or ot woven wire, and this is important because a nietal-oryWire belt when used to cool cont ons or anything else will respond to temperature changes more quickly and will carry oil' the heat more rapidly than a cloth orconipositev belt. Furthermore, when. ift desired to employ a belt to conduct con iections or other articles thru an oveu a metal belt is much more suitable than alclothor composite belt because'it will lwithstand a muclilliigher teinperatuie.. 6

In carrying out the presentinvention the conveyor belt is formed ot a number ot separate and independent sections each of which has its ends connected to the` side chains, and as a result otthis construction the sections are retained-inproper relation to each other as they advance with the side chains,

while at the same time suiiicient freedom ot movement is `permitted the parts as they pass troni one run to tlieother to prevent them from being subjected to undue` strains or bending ytomes, even-when the sections are formedof sheet metal.

-22, 1925. Serial N0. 77,108.

rl`he various features of the invention and novel combination ot parts will be best understood trom the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing of one good, practical form oi the invention7 wlierein,-' 1

ig. 1 is a peispective View of a conveyor belt and its supporting means constructed in laccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally ot' Fig. l; u 'y Fig. A3 is a side view oi a portion of the idler drum or' Fig. l;

Fig. 4t on an enlarged scale is a vertical sectional vview thru rthe driving drinn of. J i

Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig; l; Fig. 6 onan enlarged scale is a plan view ot a portion of the conveyer belt; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged'sectional.view taken on the line il-7 of Fig. l.. i

ln the embodiment ot' the invention illus- A trated in the drawings, the conveyor beltl is made upl of a. number of conveyer belt sections l() which are connected to the endless side. chains 11. `and l2.

end ot arun they pass around and are posi.- tively driven by the sprockets 123 and l-'t which may be rigidly secured to the driving shaft l5 and th-is shaft isy provided with a shown. l

The side chains ll and l2 may be supported by a trame of any suitable construction having the uprights 16 and the power shaft l5 may be supported at one end ot' the iframe and l2 may be supported at the opposite end of their run by an idle drum havingthe disk or flange portions 't8 at each end of the druni and aboutfwhicli the side chains 1l. and l2 pass. sprockets Amay be employed in place ot the chain. sup-porting flanges 1S, but since the chains are not driven rby the disk 18, but' are nier-ely supported tliei'eby,"tliis construction Works very satisfactorily. The idle drum at the right hand end ot the conveyer'as shown in Fig. lis conveniently constructed bypro- `vidiiig bars 19 which extend between and are rigidly secured to the spaced disks 18 to provide what may be termed a squirrel cage drum, and this drum may be mounted upon.

These side chains' may constitute,sprocket chains ot any welt known or desired construction and at one driving pulley or other driving means not bythe bearing brackets 1T.4 'vlhechains ,ll-

It is obvious that it desired the usual.`

ieaeial 37 may be inserted thru or formed integral with the spacing sleeves 3S o't the sprocket chain, as will be apparent from Fig. t3. The projecting ends of these pins are adapted to extend into the ends ot the hollow bar or pipe Q5 and as a iesultvot this construction a conveyer belt section may be easily attached to or removed from the sidechains by merely pulling the side chains apart to withdraw the pins 37 from the ends 0l' the hollow bar 25. It should be noted that the side chains form the sole connection between the various conveyer sections 10, and to this end a single inner link v39 ot a side chain may be provided with the two projecting pins 37, as best shown in Fig. 6. As a result of this construction the adjacent ends oi two con-y veyer belt sections are held suiliciently close to each other to prevent the biscuits, cakes,

vor other articles being conveyed bythe belt t'rom falling thru the crack between adjaland lower run orp the belt, and the means shown to this end consists of the angle bars" 40 extending lengthwise of the conveyer device at each sideV` thereof and which are supported by the uprights'lt. One ol" these angle irons at each vside ot the traine is cured in position 'to support the upper run of the belt, and a` second angle iron is mounted in position to support the lower run, as will be apparent from Fig. 1. These angle irons, as will 'be apparent from FigQT, are preferably constructed so that they will support the side chains 11 and l2, but will not engage the conveyer sections l0, and as a result of* this construction no wearing effect is produced between the conveyer sections and the supporting bars at). This forms an extremely simple means of supporting the upper and lower runs of the conveyer sections, and at the same time it prevents the side chains from spreading suiiciently to withdraw the pins 37 from the4 ends of the bars 25.

The idle drum provided at the right hand end of the conveyer device, as shown in Fig. l, need not have a diameter sufficiently large to exert a substantial supporting torce upon the belt sections l as they pass around this drum; the bars 19 ot the drum are therefore spaced inwardly towards the shaft 20 sutliciently to clear the bars Q of the conveyer sections, as will be apparentrfroin Fig. 2. As a result ot this construction, a slight slippage or creeping movement may occur between the .idle drum and the conveyer belt, without any objectionable result. Owing to thisl construction, whereby a substantial clearance space is provided between the belt sections and the drum formed by the bars 19, the bending strain exerted upon `the sections lO as they pass around this idle drum, is reduced to a minimum.

From the foregoing description, when read inconnection with the drawings, it will be seen that the conveyer belt of the present invention is extremely simple in construction, and that when made of sheet metal it is very strong and durable. It willv also f be apparent that all tendency ot' the belt toy run crooked is avoided andthat due to the pivotal connection between the ends of the conveyer sections and side chains, the connecting portions are relieved from any twisting stress that would tend to strain or break the connecting parts. p

Altho the conveyer belt constructed inA accordance with the present invention is well adapted for various purposes, it is particularly well adapted for use in the conteetionery industry because if the belt is formed ot sheet metal or wire it may be used to convey biscuits, cakes, ca'ndiesor other confections thru a cooling chamber,cr to convey the eonfections to be cooked thru an oven, since the entire conveyer belt may be sub jected to a high temperature without injury. Furthermore, the bars l0 constitute an extremely simple means for supporting the upper and lower rims of the Vconveyer belt and theyareA not likely to be injured by the heat of an oven.

What vis claimed is l. A conveyer belt, comprising in combination,`apair of endless chains supported in spaced relation to each other, sprockets for driving the chains, a series of flexible belt sections, bars secured to the ends oit' thesesections, means tor pivotally securing the ends ot' the bars to the side chains to support and advance the sections, drums mounted between the spaced chains at the ends of a run thereof to support the belt sections as they pass from one run of the chains to the other, one of the drums being formed ofspaced rods extending axially of the drum to form a skeleton drum construetion which will prevent the material being conveyed 'from accumulating upon its belt engaging surface and spaced bands extending around this skeleton drum over said rods to forma smooth belt supporting sui tace and each band having its ends spaced to provide a bar receiving gap and having its ends secured to adjacent rods.

2. AV conveyer belt, coniprising .in combination, a pair ot endless chains supported in spaced relation to each other, sprockets ior driving the chains, a series of liexible belt sections, bars secured to the ends of these sections, means for pivotally securing these bars to the side chains to advance the sections, drums mounted between the spaced chains at the ends oit a run thereof to sup- Htl lll() port the belt sections as they pussfrom `one run o' the chains to the other, one ot" the druinsbeing` formed of spaced rods extend- 3. Aeonveyer belt, comprisingl in eo1nbination, e pair of endless chains supported in spaced relation to Leach other, ineens tor drivlng'the chains,` e series of leXlble belt sections having bur-reeeiving` loops formed" :it their oppositeends, 4:1 bar secured in each loop, sleeves {itted upon :1nd rimidly` secured to the ,oppositeendsA of the bai-sto holdtlie bars against movement longitudinelly'within the loops, endineztns for securing the op"- posite endsof the'bars `to the Chains t0 sup" port and drive the beltsections;`

4. Abeltseetion for :t eonveyer belt,`c 0m` prisingl e flexible nietal sheet bent at its op!` lposite endsto form loops ortubes adapted to receive supporting"v`bers,` a bar mountedI in eeeh of the loops so that viteends project from the sides `of the nietel sheeuend collars rigidly secured to the projecting ends" of" the bars to hold tiiebars from moving 1n the direction of their lengt-h` Within the loops, said bers being Constructed to hold the belt sheet section in `tsselnbled relation with other sheet sections of a eonveyer"belt- 5.' A eonveyer `belt, comprising in combif nation, a pau" ofendless chainssupported in spaced relation toV each other, driving sprockets located atione end of `e run of the` Leaders chains :11nd irboutwhieh thechains pass, pair ot" eliain' `suppertinfn(r `disks `located zitthe opposite end ot'fi run of the chains :ind

about whieh the chains `pass Withperxnissive Creeping iiiovement between the dislisund" ehaiiis, flexible belt seetions mounted be tween the spaced ehrins' `und having` sup-` porting bers seCured to their` opposite ends' to extend between the sptteed Chainst Ineens-l for, pivotelly securing' seid bers to `thelside Chains, .u drum mounted between seid sprodkets to rotate therewith and adapted to support tlie beltseetons es they fpgiss frolnohe 'run to the otheryand :t serrondA druni `mount-ed between sind disks und hav-l ing a dzuneter that is sllicientlj snizrll'to provide a? subetilntiel elem-:inte speee be` tween its outersurfuee andthe beltvse'fftions passing `about/the saine to relieve the seetions froni tension as they are advanced around the drum by the side cheinsan also to elettr the section supportlng bars. "6,.1A -CfOiWeye/rbelt, comprising 1n eonrbxnation', e pair of endless Chains supported in spaced relation to eeoh other-,ineens for drivlng seid ehhins,` belt- "seetionsj mounted between the spaced Chains and each `conilil prising e flexible integ'rel sheet having its;

endlportious bent to "forni integral loopstht lie intheir entirety below the plane of the active ieee ofthe sheet to provide the'seetionfwith ei smooth upper `fece throughout' its length, and niegins forsecuringfthe ends" ofsaid `borsto the side ehexns to `support and advence the belt" sections.

In testimony whereof," `I`l1ave signed my naine to this specification.

JESSE W. energie 

